Rail bending and straightening device.



gr. s. GRA-WFGRD. RAIL BENDING AND STRAIGHTBNING DEVICE.

APPLIOATIONKFILBD SEPT. 1, 1914.`. 4

. Ll L" n IlzlnentedA Mar. 2, 1915.

Amm/Ey v N ortica.

JOHN S. CRAWFORD, F READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR T0 READING SPECIALTIES COMPANY, 0F READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F NEW J ERSEY.

RAIL BlilllDING AND STRAIGHTENING DEVICE.'

incanti.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rarement nai. e, raie.

Application led September 1,1914. Serial N o. -859,609.

all @hom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN S. CRAWFORD,

i a citizen of the United States, and a resi- Y and straightening railroad rails, although well adapted for bending rails or girders of different sizes and shapes, the object of the samebeingfto provide a device of' this character comprising but few parts, easily and readily assembled, and which may be quickly attached to, and detached from, its operating position with relation to the rail.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail bender or straightener which shall be ladapted for use in connection with rails of different sizes and types, which may be manufactured at a small cost, and which will be powerful and effective in its operations, and with these and other ends in view consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as will be' hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in perspective of my improved rail bender as applied to a railroad rail. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction as indicated by the arrow. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the frame showing the bracket on one side thereof. Figs. 5 and 6 are views in elevation of the securing arms. Fig. 7 is a Asectional view'taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents theframe preferably made of I-beam construction, ythat is, comprising anv upper flange 11, lower'fiange 12, andweb 13, the

extreme forward end of the frame being formed into a head 14 having an opening in the same through which extends the bending screw 15, the latter ,at its upper end being provided with a perforated cap 16 by means of which the screw is turned, and at the ,lower end with a block 17 adapted to bear uponthe head 18 of the rail, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The opening in the head 14 has two of its sides squared, while the two opposite sides 'are somewhat rounded or recessed as illustrated at 19, Fig. 4, said opening receiving and retaining a threaded block 20 having its upper end rounded, while the lower portion is squared, the upper roundedor cylindrical portion being embraced by thelsectional bearings 21 fitting against the shoulder 22 to prevent said block and bearings from being raised or lifted out of tlv head, said block 20 being held in position by means of the set screw 23. This construction is employed for the purpose of allowing a rocking or tilting movement of the bendingv screw, and `as, such is covered by Letters Patent No. 940,325, dated November 16, 1909, and forms no part of my present invention, no further detailed descriptio thereof is necessary. l

The rear end of the frame 10, and particularly the lower ange 12 thereof, is made straight to lie flat upon, and present to, the head 18 of the rail ya considerable bearing surface, the forward portion of the frame being slightly bent or curved upwardly to rest above the rail in order to give clearance for the' block 17 on the lower end of the bending screw 15, that portion of the frame where the bent or curved portion merges into the straight portion being enlarged or widened to form supporting brackets on either side thereof, each of the brackets consisting of two arms 24 sufficiently spaced apart to receive the upper ends of the securing arms 25, 26, these arms 24 comprising the sides 27 merging at their lower ends into the lower flange 12, and at their upper ends merging into the upper flange 11 of the frame 10, this formation of frame, as 1 have found in practice, being well adapted to withstand the excessive strains necessarily imposed upon it when the tool is in service.

The securing arms 25, .26, which, when assembled, practically form a yoke, are curved inwardly at their lower ends, the arm 25 the upper side or surface o y the securing arms 'below the rail and insert-A being provided with recesses 28 to receive the extreme ends 29 of the arm 26, and also with a recess 30 to receive the web 31 formed on the curved end of the arm 26 between the extreme ends 29 thereof, this construction or formation allowing the interlocking of the ends of the arms as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, side or surface 32 of the end of the arm 25 presenting a suiiciently long and wide rest or bearing for the base 33 of the rail when the several parts are in their operative positions. The extreme upper ends of the arms 25, 26 are enlarged and formed int iianged heads 34, which, when the parts are assembled as illustrated in Fi 1, rest pon the brackets of the frame y10, the overhanging flanges of the heads resting upon the arms 24.

1n securing the bender in place upon a rail to bend or straighten the same, the frame 10 is iirst base of the rail in accordance with the direction in which the latter is to be bent. 1n the drawings 1 have shown the frame as resting upon the head 18 o'f the rail, that is, that portion of the frame between the brackets and the extreme rear end, the forward end of the frame being supported by the block 17 of the bending screw also'resting upon the head of the rail. The lower ends of the securing arms 25, 26 are then placed below the base of the rail and interlocked, the upper ends of the arms being then inserted in place in the brackets of the frame, the enlarged flanged heads resting upon the arms 24. While the parts are in this position, the bending screw 15 is then turned downwardly by means of bars or handles (not shown) inserted in the openings in the head 16 until the rail is bent to the desired extent. It will be understood that as the rear end of the frame bears directly-on the head of the rail, and as the securing arms prevent the raising of the rame from the rail, any pressure brought to bear by the screw 15 upon the rail will operate to bend the latter, after which, by turning the screw in the opposite direction, the upper ends of the arms 25, 26 may be lifted from the brackets, the lower ends disengaged, and the tool detached from the rail.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the device is exceedingly simple in construction,V

and can be manufactured at a small cost; that it may be quickly and readily applied in position by simply,locatingethemframew upon the rail, interlocking the lower ends of ing` the upper ends between the arms of the brackets, and as easily and readily detached therefrom by reversing the operation.

What I claim is:- 1. A rail bender comprising a frame pro vided with outwardly extending arms to the upper placed in position upon the head orl `Vopposite sides thereof, a yoke form brackets, a pair of securing arms detachably connected at their lower ends and' the forward end of said frame and adapted to bear on the rail.

2. A rail bender comprising a frame of I-beam construction and bent in its length whereby to rest at its rear end upon said rail and lifted at its forward end above said rail,

said frame being provided with laterally extending brackets, a pair of securing arms detachably interlocked at their lower ends and provided with enlarged upper ends to rest upon said brackets, and a lscrew passing down through the forward lifted end of said 'frame and adapted to bear at its lower end upon said rail.

3. A. rail bender comprising a frame with outstanding brace brackets intermediate its ends, a yoke including side arms with the ends thereof provided with enlarged heads adapted to engage said frame bracket, the lower extremities of said arms provided with interlocking portions, and means engaging said frame and adapted to engage the rail for the bendingthereof.

4. A rail bender comprising a frame, means carried at one end of said frame adapted to engage a rail for the forced separation of the rail and frame, and bending of the former, and a yoke including separate side arms, each of said arms provided at their upper extremities with means for engaging said frame, and at their lower extremities with bent ends, said ends adapted to extend beneath the rail, the terminals thereof provided with similarly placed and oppositely extending fingers which are adapted to fit within and interlock with similarly disposed and oppositely extending recesses provided therefor.

5. A yoke for use in connection with a rail bender comprising side arms with offset ends, said ends provided with spaced terminal fingers with recesses located directly therebehind, the fingers of said side'arms extending in opposite directions and adapted to fit within said recesses, holdin said side arms i'n interlocked relation an providing for the limited pivotal motion of their upper extremities while interlocked.

6. An article of the class described comprising a frame provided with spaced brackets intermediate its ends and extending to including side members, said side members provided at their upper extremities with enlarged free ends, portions of the said yoke members adjacent the enlarged ends thereof adapted to slidably fit between the said brackets with the enlarged end resting upon the upper surfacesthereof, and engaging the same, and means carried at the lower extremity of said Limoni y tlm;

und Stute of Pennsylvania, this l'flthday of August, A. 1).,1914.

JOHN s. CRAWFORD.

Witnesses:

HELEN D. JosT, H. ROBERT Mns. 

